1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to raised access floor panels. In particular, it relates to an interlocking directional airfoil for attachment to a vertical plate member of an open-box support frame for an air-grate raised access floor panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Raised floor systems are used in data centers to create a sub-plenum space between the sub-floor, of a building, and the normal operating environment of the computer room. The sub plenum space is used for circulating cooling air to the computer servers. Perforations in the top plates, of air-grate floor panels, are configured to enhance the circulation of cooling air through the raised floor. Air-grate floor panels use an open-box load bearing frame. The open-box frame is designed with longitudinally spaced apart vertical girder plates, and transverse vertical reinforcing rib plates, in a crisscrossed assembly, for supporting the load.
Manufactures of raised floor panels have engaged in the redesigned and development of the open box sub-frame to inchide girder plates which are configured with a lower flanged face, which acts to redirect a tangential cooling airflow, originating in the sub plenum, upwardly through the open air-grate perforations in the top plate with an object of enhancing cooling efficiency to the server cabinets. One such design, which has gained wide acceptance in the industry, is the open box sub-frame disclosed in U.S. Pat. Ser. No D567,398, to Meyer. There it is ordinarily observed that the supporting girder plates, of the open box sub-frame, include lower inclined airfoils that are capable of capture and redirection of a tangential flow of cooling air. It can be appreciated that a fluid dynamic, inherent in use of this design, would result in an increase in the volume and directional velocity of the cooling air flowing from the sub-plenum and into the upper plenum, of a computer room, through the slotted perforations in the air-grate floor panel top plate. This increase in velocity enhances cooling efficiency, and further promotes the creation of an air separation barrier within the computer room.
While the foregoing design offers utility in enhancing the cooling efficiency of the computer servers, in a data center, because the air-foil girder members are integral to the sub-frame assembly, in use, one is required to retro-fit a portion of an existing raised floor with one or more floor panels in order to realize the improved cooling efficiency, inherent with foregoing design. Thus, what is needed is a pressed fit interlocking airfoil which is attachable to the girder members of an open box sub-frame assembly of an air-grate raised floor panel. The present invention satisfies these needs.